to have another nominee, perhaps the president's preferred candidate for the pentagon, secretary of defense, premptively challenged is remarkable and extraordinary. one other point that needs to be made regardless of who becomes secretary of defense, barack obama is most withholding president since richard nixon. there's no question about that. all power on the consequential issues of war and peace, afghanistan, iraq, the war on terror, big think strategy in iran, the israeli palestinian peace process, during his first term came in and out of the white house. secretary clinton, we'll never know whether she could be a consequential great secretary of state because the presidential essentially dominates. he does not delegate. and the reality is both at state and defense, the interesting question will be it seems to me on whether or not in the second term the president will allow his national security team to actually help shape the policy that the president validates and authorizes. >> that is a very interesting point. i had not heard that before. i have heard other things that make me think